Meet The Tardigrade: World’s Most Indestructible Creature

The tiny tardigrade is said to exist until the sun dies.

It is incredible how the universe is created and yet has so many surprises to offer. The tiny tardigrade is the most indestructible creature on this planet. They are also known as space bears and moss piglets.

The tardigrades are plump-bodied near microscopic animals. They have eight legs, and hands with 4-5 claws. These strangely cute tiny animals are said to exist long after humans have died out.

“Life on this planet can continue long after humans are gone,” said Dr Rafael Alves Batista, of the Department of Physics at Oxford University.

They were first discovered in 1773, by a German pastor Johann August Ephraim Goeze. The water-dwelling creatures can live up to 60 years and can survive without food for 30 years. They feed on the juices of moss, algae, and lichens. Some of the creatures are carnivorous as well as cannibals. They can feed on each other for survival.

The only real threat to their existence would be an apocalyptic event that could cause the Earth’s oceans to boil.

Dr David Sloan, Co-author and Post-Doctoral Research Associate in the Department of Physics at Oxford University, said: “To our surprise we found that although nearby supernovae or large asteroid impacts would be catastrophic for people, tardigrades could be unaffected. Therefore it seems that life, once it gets going, is hard to wipe out entirely.”